Bat with filled exterior grooves

ABSTRACT

A barrel of a ball bat for striking a ball. The bat itself may comprise a longitudinal axis, a handle, and the barrel. The barrel includes a ball impact area formed by a barrel portion and a transition section. A point of maximum performance is located within the ball impact area along the barrel. The barrel may also include an end cap. The barrel portion has a first outer diameter, with the diameter tapering from the barrel portion towards the attachment end of the transition section. There is at least one annular ring, formed from a material having a density lower than that of aluminum, which is positioned along the ball impact area. The annular ring has a third diameter that is flush with the first outer diameter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/512,844, filed May 31, 2017, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an aluminum bat for use indiamond sports such as baseball and softball. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a bat with exterior grooves filled with amaterial having a density lower than that of aluminum.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Numerous attempts have been made to improve the performance of a bat.These prior attempts have included the addition of various shells,inserts, materials, and shapes of the bat in order to improve itsperformance or usage. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,867,114, 7,014,580,6,949,038, 6,761,653 6,733,404, 6,663,517, 6,497,631, 6,398,675,6,176,795, 6,022,282, 4,930,772, 4,331,330, and 3,990,699, and U.S.Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002/0016230, 2002/0091022,2005/0070384, 2010/0160095, 2011/0152015, 2013/0274039, 2013/0165279,and 2015/0273295 disclose various attempts to improve the performance oruse of a bat.

The performance of a bat is generally based upon the weight of the bat,length of the bat, and the impact response of the bat at and duringimpact with a ball. Thus, bats are often discussed in terms of “weightdrop.” The weight drop of a bat is the difference between the bat'slength (in inches) and its weight (in ounces). For example, a 30 inchbat that is considered a “−8” would have a weight of 22 ounces (i.e., 22ounces minus 30 inches equals −8).

Most of the focus for improvements in bat technology has been inimproving the performance of the ball impact area of the bat. The ballimpact area itself may be many inches in length, depending on theconstruction of the bat. The ball impact area generally includes a pointof maximum performance, at which a batted ball leaves the bat with thehighest exit velocity compared to the rest of the ball impact area ofthe bat. The point of maximum performance is often approximately four toeight inches, and usually five to seven inches, from the end-cap end ofthe bat barrel.

The ball impact area generally encompasses the portion of the barrelhaving a constant outer diameter as well as the portion of the barrelthat tapers. The portion of the barrel having a constant outer diameteris referred to herein as the barrel portion of the barrel, whichgenerally extends from the end-cap to where the outer diameter of thebarrel begins to taper. The portion of the barrel that tapers isreferred to herein as the transition section of the barrel, andtypically extends from the barrel portion to the handle, or thereabouts.

As prior art bats have increased the performance in this area, manysports regulatory agencies have placed performance and/or configurationrestrictions on the bats. For example, most regulatory bodies set amaximum performance level of a bat when a ball impacts the point ofmaximum performance of that bat. Typically, this impact performancelevel is measured by the exit velocity of the ball off the bat rightafter impact.

Historically, the performance of a bat in the ball impact area adjacentto point of maximum performance of that bat show significant reductionsin performance. The contemporary bat art has made few attempts toimprove the performance of the bat sections adjacent the point ofmaximum performance. As such, the performance of the bats in areasdistal from, and even adjacent to, the point of maximum performancedramatically drops for conventional bats. Prior art attempts to addressthese issues have drawbacks. For example, inserts may be positionedinside of the barrel of a bat. These inserts may be metal rings that areglued or otherwise secured inside the barrel. Such rings mayalternatively be made of composite materials, and may be molded and/orcured within the barrel in a secondary process. Such rings can result inheavier bats that take longer to construct.

Thus, there is a continuing need for improved overall performance ofbats. These improved bats need to conform to the regulatory agencies'restrictions for in the preferred hitting zone while performing well atlocations that are longitudinally outside the preferred hitting zone.These improved bats preferably increase the performance in locationsadjacent the preferred hitting area/zone as compared to the preferredhitting zone. These improved bats, or features of a bat, are lacking inthe art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is a barrel of a ball bat for striking a ball. The batitself may comprise a longitudinal axis, a handle, and the barrel. Thehandle may include an attachment end and a knob end. The barrel includesa ball impact area formed by a barrel portion and a transition section.The handle may be of unitary construction with the barrel, or may beattached to the barrel according to known prior art techniques andstructures. In either case, the transition section of the barrel isoperatively attached to the attachment end of the handle at anattachment end of the transition section. A point of maximum performanceis located within the ball impact area along the barrel. The barrel mayalso include an end cap.

In one example embodiment, the barrel has a ball impact area with afirst thickness that is measured between a first final surface and aninner surface of the ball impact area. At least one exterior groove ispositioned along the ball impact area. The exterior groove has a secondthickness, thinner than the first thickness, that is measured between afirst step surface and the inner surface of the ball impact area. Theexterior groove is filled with a material having a density lower thanthat of aluminum, such as a composite material or the like.

In another example embodiment, the barrel has a ball impact area with afirst final surface with at least two opposing side walls that extendradially inwards towards the longitudinal axis. The opposing side wallshave both a distal and a proximal end. The distal end of each side wallextends from the first final surface. The proximal end of each side wallextends to the first step surface, which is between the opposing sidewalls. A material having a density lower than that of aluminum ispositioned between the opposing side walls, above the first stepsurface. Such material forms a second final surface that is flush withthe first final surface of the barrel portion.

Finally, in third example embodiment, the barrel portion has a firstouter diameter, with the diameter tapering from the barrel portiontowards the attachment end of the transition section. There is at leastone annular ring, formed from a material having a density lower thanthat of aluminum, which is positioned along the ball impact area. Theannular ring has a third diameter that is flush with the first outerdiameter of the barrel portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the various embodiments of the presentinvention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an example of a bat;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a bat withexterior grooves;

FIG. 3. is a cross section view of an example embodiment of bat withexterior grooves;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of an example embodiment of a bat withexterior grooves containing multiple steps.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a bat withexterior grooves filled with a material having a density lower than thatof aluminum.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that the drawings and detaileddescription presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intentionis to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives fallingwithin the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by theappended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingfigures, in which like reference numerals refer to like partsthroughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristicsof the present invention, proportional relationships of the elementshave not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a bat 100, which ispreferably made from aluminum. Specifically, a barrel 105 is shown,which preferably includes a transition section 110 and a barrel portion115. A longitudinal axis 116 extends through the barrel portion 105 andthe transition section 110. The barrel portion 105 has a first outerdiameter 117, and the transition section 110 has a tapering outerdiameter 119 that tapers from the barrel portion towards an attachmentend of the transition section. The transition section 110 connects to ahandle portion 120 at an attachment end of the transition section 110according to structures and methods known in the art. For example, thetransition section 110 may be integrally formed with the handle 120, ormay be a separate piece that is affixed to the handle 120. The barrelportion 115 may extend substantially from the transition section 110 tothe end-cap end 125 of the ball bat 100. The barrel portion 115 andtransition section 110 form the ball impact area of barrel 105. The ballimpact area preferably encompasses a point of maximum performancetherealong.

FIG. 2 illustrates the barrel 105. As shown in FIG. 2, the barrel 105has one or more exterior grooves 200 positioned along the ball impactarea. As shown in FIG. 2, an exterior groove 200 is shown positioned inthe barrel portion 115 although it should be noted that an exteriorgroove could be positioned along the transitional portion 110 of thebarrel 105. In an example embodiment, two exterior grooves 200 may bepositioned either about or beside the side of the point of maximumperformance, though other locations are envisioned.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross section of a baseball bat 100, andspecifically the barrel 105. As shown in FIG. 3, the transitionalsection 110 and/or barrel portion 115 preferably has a first finalsurface 300 and an inner surface 305. The distance between the firstfinal surface 300 and the inner surface 305 comprises a first thickness.It will be appreciated that the first thickness may vary somewhat overthe length of the ball impact area. The exterior groove 200 of FIG. 2,as illustrated, extends between a first step surface 310A and innersurface 305. In an example embodiment, the first step surface 310A ispositioned parallel from first final surface 300 as shown in FIG. 2,though other angles are envisioned. The distance between the first stepsurface 310A and the inner surface 305 yields a second thickness that isthinner than the first thickness, thereby creating a first step. It willbe appreciated that the second thickness of the groove 200 is thinnerthan the first thickness of the ball impact area immediately adjacentthat groove 200. Opposing side walls 315 each have a proximal end 320and a distal end 325. Opposing side walls 315 each extend between thefirst final surface 300 and first step surface 310A, and each arepositioned perpendicularly to the first step surface 310A to create ashift between different thicknesses of the barrel.

In alternative embodiments, angles other than 90 degrees may provide forother shifts between first and second thicknesses. As shown in FIG. 4,exterior grooves 200 may have one or more outer surfaces 310, creatingmultiple steps of various widths and depths. For example, as shown inFIG. 4, a second step has a third thickness measured between a secondstep surface 310B and the inner surface 305 of the ball impact area. Thethird thickness of the second step is less than the second thickness ofthe first step. In an example embodiment, exterior groove 200 has awidth between 0.25 to 3 inches, and preferably between 0.5 to 1.5inches. The exterior groove 200 may have a depth between 0.01 to 0.11inches deep, preferably between 0.02 to 0.09 inches deep.

The exterior grooves 200 have been filled in with a material 400. Thematerial 400 is preferably a material having a density lower than thatof aluminum. In a non-limiting example, composite materials could beused, such as carbon fiber and/or glass fiber, thermoplastic, surlyn,polyethylene, etc. However, it will be appreciated that other materialswith a sufficiently low density, such as polyurethane, foams, or thelike are also envisioned. The material 400 creates at least one annularring along the ball impact area. The material 400 is preferably lighterthan the material of bat 100, reducing the weight of bat 100. Thematerial 400 filled exterior grooves create a second final surface 405.The second final surface 405 is preferably level with first finalsurface 300. In general, filling the exterior grooves 200 with material400 reduces the weight of bat 100, and may also improve performance ofthe bat 100 adjacent the point of maximum performance while stillpassing the required performance standard.

FIG. 5 illustrates a barrel 105 with exterior grooves 200. The exteriorgrooves have been filled in with the material 400.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of thepresent invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives andadvantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantageswhich are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. Itwill be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of thepresent embodiments are of utility and may be employed without referenceto other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodimentsof the present invention may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that alldisclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawingsare to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The variousconstructions described above and illustrated in the drawings arepresented by way of example only and are not intended to limit theconcepts, principles and scope of the present invention.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of thepresent invention are not limited by the particular details of theexamples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that othermodifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur tothose skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similarterms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of“optional” or “may include” and not as “required.”

Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applicationsof the present constructions will, however, become apparent to thoseskilled in the art after considering the specification and theaccompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations andother uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit andscope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention whichis limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A barrel for a ball bat, the barrel comprising: abarrel portion and a transition section, the barrel portion having afirst outer diameter and the transition section having a tapering outerdiameter that tapers from the barrel portion toward an attachment end ofthe transition section; a ball impact area extending from an end-cap endof the barrel portion along the barrel portion and extending along atleast a portion of the transition section, wherein the ball impact areahas a first thickness measured between a first final surface and aninner surface of the ball impact area; at least one exterior groovepositioned along the ball impact area, said at least one exterior groovehaving a second thickness measured between a first step surface and theinner surface of the ball impact area, wherein the second thickness isless than the first thickness, thereby creating a first step; wherein atleast one exterior groove is filled with a material having a densitylower than that of aluminum.
 2. The barrel of claim 1 wherein a depth ofthe exterior groove is between about 0.01 and 0.11 inches.
 3. The barrelof claim 1 wherein a width of the exterior groove is between about 0.25and 3 inches.
 4. The barrel of claim 1 wherein there are two exteriorgrooves.
 5. The barrel of claim 1 wherein at least two opposing sidewalls of the exterior groove are perpendicular to the first finalsurface.
 6. The barrel of claim 1 wherein the exterior groove includesat least a second step; wherein the second step has a third thicknessmeasured between a second step surface and the inner surface of the ballimpact area, wherein the third thickness is less than the secondthickness.
 7. The barrel of claim 1 wherein the material having adensity lower than that of aluminum is a composite material selectedfrom the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber, thermoplastic,surlyn, and polyethylene.
 8. The barrel of claim 2 wherein the width ofthe exterior groove is between about 0.25 and 3 inches.
 9. The barrel ofclaim 1 wherein the first thickness varies over the ball impact area,and wherein the second thickness of a said exterior groove is less thanthe first thickness of the ball impact area immediately adjacent thesaid exterior groove.
 10. A barrel for a ball bat, the barrelcomprising: a barrel portion, a transition section, and a longitudinalaxis extending through said barrel portion and said transition section;said barrel portion having a first outer diameter and the transitionsection having a tapering outer diameter from the barrel portion towardan attachment end of the transition section; a ball impact areaextending from an end-cap end of the barrel portion along the barrelportion and extending along at least a portion of the transitionsection, wherein the ball impact area has a first final surface; atleast two opposing side walls extending radially inwards towards thelongitudinal axis; a first step surface extending between said opposingside walls; said opposing side walls each having a proximal end and adistal end; wherein the distal end of each side wall extends from thefirst final surface; wherein the proximal end of each side wall extendsfrom the first step surface; wherein a material having a density lowerthan that of aluminum is positioned between said opposing side wallsabove the first step surface; wherein said material forms a second finalsurface that is flush with first final surface of the barrel portion.11. The barrel of claim 10 wherein the opposing side walls have a lengthbetween about 0.01 and 0.11 inches.
 12. The barrel of claim 10 whereinthe first step surface has a length between about 0.25 and 3 inches. 13.The barrel of claim 10 wherein the opposing side walls form a firstgroove; wherein a second groove is also provided.
 14. A barrel for aball bat, the barrel comprising: a barrel portion and a transitionsection, the barrel portion having a first outer diameter and thetransition section tapering from the barrel portion toward an attachmentend of the transition section; a ball impact area extending from anend-cap end of the barrel portion along the barrel portion and extendingalong at least a portion of the transition section; at least one annularring, formed from a material having a density lower than that ofaluminum, positioned along the ball impact area; wherein said at leastone annular ring having a third outer diameter; wherein said third outerdiameter is flush with the first outer diameter.
 15. The barrel of claim14 wherein there are two annular rings.
 16. The barrel of claim 14wherein the annular ring has a width between about 0.25 and 3 inches.17. The barrel of claim 14 wherein the annular ring has a depth betweenabout 0.01 and 0.11 inches.
 18. The barrel of claim 14 wherein theannular ring is made out of carbon fiber.
 19. The barrel of claim 14wherein the annular ring is made out of glass fiber.
 20. The barrel ofclaim 16 wherein the annular ring has a depth between about 0.01 and0.11 inches.